Sky Sport will infuse te reo into its coverage of the Winter Olympics.
Te Reo Māori ki Mirāno Kotīna 2026 is the second edition of Sky TV’s Māori–English Olympic sports glossary and will add a unique dimension to New Zealand’s Winter Olympians through a Māori worldview of the February 6-February 22 event.
The 16-page glossary is full of Winter Olympic sports phrases in te reo Māori and English, like: “he/she is flying down the course! - ”me he perehia ka rere i te takutai one!” and “he/she stomped that landing” - “Kātahi te taunga pai.”
Commentators will be able to refer to the book during commentary or interviews with New Zealand athletes.
Sky TV’s cultural leader Kirstin Te Wao-Edmonds said the network had an important role to ensure “te reo Māori not only survives but thrives”, especially at such major events such as the four-yearly Winter Olympics.
“This glossary, as an extension of Te Reo Māori ki Parī 2024, is a new taonga (treasure) that helps our Sky Sport whānau continue to grow their confidence and proficiency on screen, while sharing the beauty and mana of te reo Māori with audiences around Aotearoa,” Te Wao-Edmonds said.
“By integrating te reo Māori alongside English across our presenters, coverage and promotions, we’re using our platform to educate, amplify and celebrate our unique indigenous culture and language on one of the biggest sporting stages.”
Sky host Laura McGoldrick believes the commentary and interviews need our own unique te reo vibe - because she said that’s what separates New Zealand from everyone else.
“The Olympic Games are about more than medals; they’re about who we are and where we come from,” McGoldrick told the Herald.
“Incorporating te reo Māori into our Olympic coverage is a really important way of reflecting Aotearoa back to ourselves and to the world.
“Whether it’s through our language, our storytelling or Te Reo Māori ki Mirāno Kotīna 2026, it helps us connect more deeply with our athletes, our culture and our audiences, and makes our coverage feel truly Kiwi.”
Coverage of the Winter Olympics will be hosted by McGoldrick, Kirstie Stanway, Anna Willcox - an Olympian from the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics - George Harper, Kimberlee Ritchie, Storm Purvis and Andrew Mulligan.
Willcox was a freestyle skier and competed in the women’s slopestyle event at Sochi, qualifying in 15th place and missing out on the final.
NZ Olympic Committee (NZOC) chief executive Nicki Nicol said the partnership between Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission), the NZOC and Sky would ensure te reo Māori continues to be celebrated, heard, and used at one of the world’s most visible and unifying events.
“This resource strengthens the connection between our Winter Olympians and Aotearoa New Zealand. It’s about identity, pride and the values that unite us on the world stage,” Nicol said.
“This glossary showcases the names of all sports on the Winter Olympic Programme and goes deeper into the five core sports Aotearoa New Zealand athletes are aiming to compete in at Milano Cortina, building on the 30 sports from Te Reo Māori ki Parī 2024 and more than 1000 words and phrases created for Paris 2024.
“This glossary lays the groundwork for future editions that will include an even broader range of winter sports.”
A Winter Wānanga for Winter Olympians had previously been held in Greymouth, with Nicol saying that was a “powerful first step in preparing our athletes culturally as well as physically, followed by workshops and haka practice”.
“Te Reo Māori ki Mirāno Kotīna 2026 builds on that journey, ensuring our team carries the spirit of home into every moment of competition.”
Ngahiwi Apanui-Barr, chief executive of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori says the glossary affirms te reo Māori’s place in every corner of life, including the global sporting arena.
“The kupu and kīanga created for Te Reo Māori ki Mirāno Kotīna 2026 showcase just how dynamic te reo Māori is. Seeing and hearing our indigenous language used on the ice in Italy or from the couch in Aotearoa, this kaupapa is about normalising the language. Te reo Māori continues to grow and adapt, helping us to articulate the evolving world around us,” Apanui-Barr said.
“Te reo Māori connects us all as New Zealanders. By using our language to celebrate the Winter Olympics, we strengthen our collective ties to Aotearoa while sharing our unique identity with the world.”
Last year the Herald revealed how Sky Sports commentators were being trained and asked to speak more te reo Māori on air.
Te Wao-Edmonds, said the broadcaster has a “mission to normalise te reo in mainstream sports broadcasting”.
“We’re investing in building the capability and confidence of our Sky Sport talent in using te reo in our English language broadcasts,” she told the Herald at the time.
Joseph Los’e joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor. Los’e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday News newspaper covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and worked for urban Māori organisation Whānau Waipareira.